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Posted By: J Levine

These are not really variations but one of two things that I feel happened. The first is that many of the green borders seem to occur on the Hassan fact. 30 backed cards and Piedmont cards. I think that the print run on these may have used a higher copper content and tend to tarnish or turn green quicker. I have a couple of cards with very green borders incl. a Tinker and a Huggins.

I also feel that exposure to moisture or humid conditions often turns the borders from bight gold to a greenish gold tint. Again, caused by the copper content in the gilding.

I think someone (Ted?) has talked about this a little in his talk about the printing process and gilding process.

Joshua